I, the screenwriter, have experienced a resurgence of inspiration.

When Lu Jianmin stood up to give up his seat, his legs were still a little weak, but unconsciously, his expression showed some dissatisfaction.

Lu Bingkun ignored her and directly gestured to his two sons to push him over.

Facing the empty chair, the desire for longevity at that moment directly outweighed the fear of the unknown.

—That ruthless drive he'd developed over decades of battling in the business world returned in an instant.

"Come."

He spoke, tossing the two pieces of jewelry, along with the imperial green ring on his hand, onto the table.

"Splash—"

The dice cup floated up again.

The sound of dice hitting the inner wall echoed back and forth in the empty entertainment room.

Lu Bingkun turned to the side, tilting his right ear slightly toward the table.

This is a skill he honed in his youth.

Back then, I worked as a henchman in an underground casino in Hong Kong, serving tea and water, keeping watch, and spending every day by the gambling tables.

After listening to it many times, I gradually developed the skill of listening to the dice.

With three dice, he could guess almost perfectly where each one would land and whether it would be big or small, even with his eyes closed.

"Thump."

As the dice cup fell, Lu Bingkun's tone remained unchanged as he casually said, "I bet... small."

Lu Jianmin reached out and lifted the cup.

But the three dice lay quietly: four, five, and six.

3 PM, big.

Lu Bingkun lost.

On the table, the set of imperial green jewelry that Lu Jianmin had just bet on—a necklace and bracelet—as well as the ring that Lu Bingkun had bet on, had all vanished instantly.

Lu Jianmin subconsciously looked at him, but the latter's face showed no change whatsoever.

It was as if what was casually handed out wasn't some rare treasure, but rather a few pieces of glass.

"As long as... the underworld officials... have fun, this little bit of stuff is nothing."

Lu Bingkun's tone was full of indifference:

"Jianye, Jiancheng, go upstairs and bring down... the safe in the study and the things in the secret room in the bedroom."

"Take all the antiques, calligraphy and paintings, jade, and gemstones you can."

"Also, take everything from the jewelry box in the walk-in closet, and the property ownership certificate, share certificates, and overseas bond stubs from the drawers in the study."

Lu Jianye was stunned for a moment, then a look of pain appeared on his face:

"Dad, those are treasures you've collected for half your life, many of them are unique..."

It is said that a cunning rabbit has three burrows, and the Lu family owns quite a few similar mansions.

But this particular collection was something the old man had accumulated over several decades.

Are you just going to use that as a betting stake?

And why would a ghost messenger need a property ownership certificate?

"baby?"

Lu Bingkun sneered, "If you're dead, who are you going to show this treasure to?"

His tone suddenly became harsher, and the two dared not argue back. They turned around and went upstairs to move their things.

One trip, two trips, three trips.

During this time, the Special Investigations Bureau agents, unaware of what was going on, tried to lend a hand, but were refused.

……

Soon, the collection from the mansion was moved down one after another, piling up all over the floor next to the gambling table.

Song Dynasty porcelain, Yuan Dynasty blue and white porcelain, calligraphy and paintings by famous artists, Hetian jade ornaments, ruby ​​and sapphire sets, stacks of real estate ownership certificates, equity certificates of Kunsheng Group, bond stubs of offshore companies...

Any one of these items you pick up would be a fortune that an ordinary person couldn't earn in several lifetimes.

Lu Bingkun glanced at it and casually pointed to the top Song Dynasty official kiln porcelain vase: "Bet on this one, continue."

The dice cup shook again.

"Splash, splash."

The pace was neither too fast nor too slow, but very even.

Lu Bingkun listened intently, tapping his fingers lightly on the table while silently counting the points in his mind.

"Thump."

The cup falls.

"Small." Knowing what was going on, Lu Bingkun continued.

But when you lift the lid, the numbers are five, five, and six, totaling sixteen points, which is still a big win.

We lost again.

The porcelain bottle vanished instantly.

While Lu Jianmin and the other two were sweating profusely with anxiety, Lu Bingkun remained calm and collected, squinting his eyes.

"The envoy arrived suddenly, and preparations were rushed, resulting in inadequate hospitality... This time, I'm betting this authentic work by Tang Yin."

"Again."

Lu Bingkun kept losing.

In the third round, I bet on an authentic work by Emperor Huizong of Song, and I lost.

In the fourth round, I bet on a set of pigeon blood ruby ​​jewelry and lost.

Lost four games in a row.

Although he has fewer of his precious possessions, Lu Bingkun's mental state has visibly improved.

Standing to the side, Lu Jianmin finally figured out a bit of the trick:

This underworld official is bad at gambling, but he is greedy and loves to gamble.

Lu Bingkun guessed correctly every time, but deliberately lost, which was like feeding the other party.

But as she looked at the dwindling number of antique paintings and calligraphy on the ground, her face twitched again.

Something worth hundreds of millions, gone just like that.

……

……

After losing more than a dozen rounds in a row, Lu Bingkun lost all his chips.

Even the property deeds for three buildings in the city center of Hong Kong, as well as the equity certificate for 16% of the subsidiary of the Lu's Group, were "given" to the opposite side.

Although Yun Jianmin knew Yun Bingkun's plan, she simply could not tolerate his reckless behavior.

She took half a step forward and lowered her voice, "Dad, why don't we stop for a bit?"

Without even glancing at them, Lu Bingkun coldly continued to toss chips onto the table.

"Either don't gamble, or gamble until the very end."

His tone was calm, but those who knew him well knew that it was a sign that he was about to get angry.

"continue."

Lu Bingkun spoke again, pointing to the remaining assets on the ground, "I'm betting everything on this..."

Upon hearing this, the three children's expressions changed.

These items on the ground alone are worth at least a billion dollars, not to mention the many rare and discontinued collectibles and overseas assets.

This is going to be a major blow to the Lu family.

"Dad! No, this won't do!"

Lu Jianye panicked, ignoring the ghost sitting opposite him, "Are you going to give away the entire company?!"

"group?"

Lu Bingkun's smile was somewhat chilling. "Son, if I die, what does the group have to do with you?"

"If he's dead, who will inherit his fortune?"

"As long as I live, the Lu family exists, and the group exists. If I die, do you bunch of losers think you can protect it?"

His words stung his three children, turning their faces pale.

Lu Jianye and Lu Jiancheng exchanged a glance, and both made their decision.

……

This time, Lu Bingkun is betting big again.

One, one, two, four points, small.

He lost again.

The antique paintings, calligraphy and paintings, property deeds, stock certificates, jewelry and bonds that were piled up like small mountains on the ground vanished completely in an instant.

The vast ground was empty, with only a little dust remaining.

Over a billion, all lost in one go.

Lu Jianmin's face turned deathly pale, and his body swayed.

Even if Kunsheng has a market value of hundreds of billions, losing so many core assets at once will be a major blow.

"Dad..." Her voice trembled, as if she wanted to say something more.

But when he looked up, Lu Bingkun was extremely calm, as if everything was under his control.

The dice cup on the table kept spinning, and the underworld official seemed extremely satisfied.

"Again!"

He suddenly looked up, his voice rising abruptly, carrying a hint of smugness and certainty, "I have something else to stake!"

The three children felt a sudden unease, a sense of foreboding washing over them.

Lu Bingkun slowly turned his head, his gaze sweeping over the three of them.

His eyes were cold, devoid of any warmth.

"Those three are my biological children."

He spoke slowly and deliberately to the empty seat opposite him, as if he were making a price quote to a grim reaper:

"I'm betting the remaining lifespan of my three biological children."

"I won; all their lifespans have been transferred to me."

"I lost. You can take their lives, plus all the remaining assets of the Lu family. They are all yours."

As soon as he finished speaking, the recreation room fell into a deathly silence.

The three of them were completely dumbfounded.

They never imagined that their biological father had already made the decision to use them as a gamble.

First, he paved the way with gold and silver treasures to please the underworld officials, and then began the game he truly wanted to gamble on.

That old man is ruthless.

"Dad, are you crazy?!"

Lu Jianmin's face drained of color: "How could you gamble with our lives?!"

"I'm not gambling anymore! I'm not playing anymore! I'm leaving!"

Lu Jiancheng reacted the fastest, screaming and turning to run towards the door.

Lu Jianye also realized what was happening and rushed out as well.

If we don't run, we'll all die!

What family fortune, what shares, none of them are as important as life!

The three of them pushed and shoved each other as they rushed to the door, frantically trying to turn the doorknob.

But the doorknob didn't budge, as if it were welded to the door.

The entire recreation room became an airtight cage.

"Open the door! Let us out!"

"Dad! You can't do this! Open the door!"

"Master Zhang! Master Zhang, please save us!"

"Where are the Special Investigations Bureau people? Help!"

They pounded on the door for help, but in order for the ceremony to proceed smoothly, Lu Bingkun cleared the area.

Now, in the entire main building, there are only the four of them, and that unseen thing.

Even if you shout until you're hoarse, no one will hear you.

Despair overwhelmed them like a tidal wave.

Looking at their panicked expressions, Lu Bingkun remained expressionless.

"What's all the noise about? I gave birth to you and raised you, your lives originally belonged to me."

He turned to look across the room, his tone slightly tempting: "Want to bet?"

The air was still for a few seconds.

Immediately afterwards, the dice cup floated up again.

"Splash! Splash!"

The shaking was louder and more rapid than ever before.

It's as if the "person" on the other side excitedly accepted this high-stakes gamble that involved human lives.

"Splash splash splash—"

Lu Bingkun held his breath, tilted his ear, and listened carefully.

One, two, three...

Accent, unaccord, number of collisions, and landing point.

His mind raced, breaking down each impact sound and relating it to each die.

It's fast, but it's also a bit messy.

But the pattern remains unchanged.

It's the same old approach.

After a few rounds, he had figured it out long ago.

"Thump!"

With a muffled thud, the dice cup slammed heavily onto the table.

The dust has settled.

"Small."

With absolute certainty, Lu Bingkun staggered onto the table, pressed down on the lid of the cup, and suddenly flipped it upwards.

Three dice lay quietly at the bottom of the cup.

One, two, two, five points, small.

He won.

"Ha ha ha ha!"

Lu Bingkun suddenly burst into hearty laughter, laughing so hard he almost fell over, tears welling up in his eyes:

"I won! I won!"

He's still the same as before, with everything going his way and all his wishes coming true!

The laughter hadn't even subsided.

Three dark, eerie winds appeared out of thin air in the room, swirling and howling towards the three people at the door.

The cold wind carried a biting chill, and wherever it passed, the air seemed to freeze.

"ah--!"

The three of them simultaneously let out a piercing scream.

The icy touch penetrated the skin, seeped into the bones, and merged into the soul.

Immediately following was a tremendous suction force.

It was as if something was being forcibly drawn out from deep within their bodies.

Vitality, youth, energy, lifespan... things that are hard to define and inexplicable are being continuously drained away.

The changes in their faces were visibly apparent.

Lu Jianmin's once jet-black hair turned white at a visible rate.

The once firm and smooth skin quickly sagged, and wrinkles began to appear around the eyes, cheeks, and neck.

In just over forty years old, she transformed into a seventy or eighty-year-old woman in mere seconds.

The skin became dry and shriveled, and large patches of age spots quickly appeared.

The brothers, Lu Jianye and Lu Jiancheng, fared even worse.

The two were in their prime, and their bodies, which they had maintained for many years, were by no means obese.

At this moment, their hair turned white rapidly, their teeth loosened, and their backs hunched over violently.

Two men in their early forties were quickly reduced to two candles about to go out.

The oil was exhausted and the lamp was dying.

They didn't even have the strength to scream; they could only let out weak groans.

"Father...save me...save me..."

"Father..."